With the current boycott of Loblaws underway by some people for the month of May, Torontonians are sharing where they find their groceries for cheap while avoiding the big chain stores.
On a thread in the Reddit group r/toronto, some asked people to share their local grocers, convenience stores, markets and fruit stands that aren't owned by big companies, and many shared where they find the best bang for their buck.
"I’ve found C&C Supermarket near Don Mills and Lawrence to hit a very sweet spot in terms of the price-to-quality ratio," said one person.
"Raise the Root in Leslieville," said another. "They recently posted a list on Facebook with all the organic produce they had priced cheaper. It wasn't super long but they were all staples.
"Highland Farms and Coppas are both great if you can drive to one of their store," wrote one user. "They have an amazing deli, cheese, meat, poultry and fish section. Packaged food is a bit pricey, but that's going to be the case at almost any independent supermarket.
A while ago in the r/toronto community, someone asked, "Please post your favourite small chain/local grocers," and it received well over 200 answers.
"I love Nosso Talho (although we always call it the Meat King at my house) - I especially like the Dundas and Rusholme location," said one user, with many chiming in about how great the store is. "They are so nice in there and they have some crazy produce sales sometimes."
Others shared that they enjoy shopping at Queen Fresh Market on Queen West, Galaxy Foods at Broadview and Gerrard, various locations of Carload and Nations at Stockyards Village.
"Kai Wei on Spadina & Dundas and P.A.T at Christie & Bloor," said another user. "Also the produce vendor in the front north-east corner of St Lawrence market has better prices and quality compared to Metro and Loblaws in the area. Very nice people too and one of my favourite local businesses to support."
If you have noticed an increase in your grocery bill, you're not alone. According to the Consumer Price Index, from December 2022 to December 2023, food in general was 5% more expensive.
Hopefully checking out these local stores will help you save!
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
